ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. present — there
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. clip — a video
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — letters
  8. season — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. spell — a short time
  13. present — the time now
  14. clip — to cut
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — magic
  19. can — to be able to
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — of the year
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com